Orcera: Nature, Views and Cultural History

Nature

The municipality of Orcera covers 126 km² and is entirely part of the Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Nature Park. Los Estrechos is also located in this nature park, serving as a recreational area on the Orcera River, which has a moderate flow of water all year round.

The well-equipped recreational area has a natural pool suitable for swimming and is located on the Orcera River, which flows into the Guadalimar. Los Estrechos can be reached via the fully paved local road between Orcera and the hamlet of Linarejos.

A gently sloping gravel road leads down to the Orcera River, 2.1 km from Orcera. Amurjo can be reached from Orcera via the JV-7.033 towards Segura de la Sierra; after approximately 200 m, a path branches off to the left towards the site.

The first section of the GR-247 Bosques del Sur trail passes through Los Estrechos.

On the Way

The Piedra de la Atalaya viewpoint is located at an altitude of approximately 935 m. The 360° panoramic view encompasses Orcera town centre, the Plaza de Toros, the Trujala Valley and the sea of olive trees.

Peaks such as El Yelmo and La Puerta de Segura are also part of the panorama. The route at Piedra de la Atalaya is easy to walk and is estimated to take approximately 45 minutes.

It is signposted and prepared from the Plaza de Toros or the El Convento recreational area. As a circular route, it is approximately 1.8 km long and has around 110 m of cumulative elevation gain.

Those planning the Piedra de la Atalaya route thus have two explicitly named starting points. The route is designed as a circular trail; its approximate duration of 45 minutes, length of approximately 1.8 kilometres and elevation gain of around 110 metres describe its time and physical requirements.

History

The Iglesia de la Asunción was built in the 16th and 17th centuries as a single-nave church with Gothic and Renaissance elements. At the beginning of the 20th century, it received a monumental portal from the 16th century.

The portal comes from the no-longer-existing Franciscan monastery of Santa María de la Peña. The Torre de Santa Catalina I in the municipality belongs to a group of three Santa Catalina towers between Segura de la Sierra and Orcera.

The Torre de Santa Catalina I is probably a Muslim structure from the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century. Its function is thought to have been to monitor the surrounding, intricately interwoven hilly landscape.

Other Places

Other places: Lopera, Alcaudete, Prados De Armijo, La Carolina, Mengibar, Bedmar, Santiago De Calatrava, Aldeaquemada.

Culture

Bolos Serranos is a traditional sporting practice. The first regional Bolos Serranos tournament was organised in Orcera in 1969. According to the municipal website, it has continued to take place there without interruption to this day.

For the higher-level travel overview: Jaen.